I really enjoyed Tip 7 in how simple yet effective is to make everyday exercises more interesting, engaging, and...
I really enjoyed Tip 7 in how simple yet effective is to make everyday exercises more interesting, engaging, and memorable.
Tip 8 is another great one. By chance, I saw Carolyn Graham once at ETJ Tokyo EXPO (English Teachers in Japan) where I was volunteering on tech support and she needed help setting up and cueing some things. I'd been wondering how to reach learners who'd felt they'd grown out of singing songs in class, her jazz chants seemed just the ticket I was looking for!
However, it was a while before I had an opportunity to use them in class, but when I tried some motivation chants with 1st year uni students, it went over really well and much better than expected. So, it became 'a keeper'!
I'm getting better
You're getting better
We're getting better now
Step by step
Day by day
I introduced it orally first as a whole class choral listen and repeat, line by line, then building up. Teams of 4-5 then had to work together to recall and write it down. We then checked as a class back to the board and I elicited some alternative ideas/expression (e.g. improving, getting faster, little by little, bit by bit, week by week).
Then they had a few minutes to practice doing it all together before performing to the rest of the class, with the option to change/add words, work on voice, and include gestures. It was great to see how the different groups came up with different variations in performance, too!
Moreoever, at the end of the month and even the end of the semester I noticed that quite a number of students had reused these phrases (unprompted) when reflecting in their learning journals; for example, writing about the importance of developing positive routines and habits, measuring and noticing their own progress, and encouraging themselves and each other.
Anyway, here's a helpful, free resource introducing jazz chants and looking at rhythm and stress, and meaning:
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf
Tip 8 is another great one. By chance, I saw Carolyn Graham once at ETJ Tokyo EXPO (English Teachers in Japan) where I was volunteering on tech support and she needed help setting up and cueing some things. I'd been wondering how to reach learners who'd felt they'd grown out of singing songs in class, her jazz chants seemed just the ticket I was looking for!
However, it was a while before I had an opportunity to use them in class, but when I tried some motivation chants with 1st year uni students, it went over really well and much better than expected. So, it became 'a keeper'!
I'm getting better
You're getting better
We're getting better now
Step by step
Day by day
I introduced it orally first as a whole class choral listen and repeat, line by line, then building up. Teams of 4-5 then had to work together to recall and write it down. We then checked as a class back to the board and I elicited some alternative ideas/expression (e.g. improving, getting faster, little by little, bit by bit, week by week).
Then they had a few minutes to practice doing it all together before performing to the rest of the class, with the option to change/add words, work on voice, and include gestures. It was great to see how the different groups came up with different variations in performance, too!
Moreoever, at the end of the month and even the end of the semester I noticed that quite a number of students had reused these phrases (unprompted) when reflecting in their learning journals; for example, writing about the importance of developing positive routines and habits, measuring and noticing their own progress, and encouraging themselves and each other.
Anyway, here's a helpful, free resource introducing jazz chants and looking at rhythm and stress, and meaning:
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf
That is such a great resource, thank you, Phil. Fluency MC (Jason R Levine) is great as well, I have seen quite a bit of his output on youtube.
ReplyDeleteDo you like it? Yes, I do, Yes, I do. I like it very much. Thanks to you. Thanks to you!! Great post and link Phil. For me the highlight of the session was seeing Carolyn Graham and learning of the genesis of Jazz Chants and Grammar Chants. But please don't feel slighted Penny because the whole session was a joy as I flew back in time to my beginning attempts at teaching and how I slowly slowly grew a repertoire of activities and developed a toolbox I could call on from resources I had the sense to buy - and still have - your books included. I am loving the mix of participants - we have so much to learn from each other and everyone is so generous.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Bekes Yes, Jase is a brilliant and really nice and approachable, too :-) I just remembered he did an iTDi course as well, though I missed it unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link for anyone else interested:
youtube.com - Fluency MC
And his FB page for FluencyMC
https://www.facebook.com/FluencyMC/
Thank you for the links, Phil!
ReplyDeleteGreat link thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove the motivation chant. A great way to start or end the class. As for Fluency MC, would you mind telling us how you use his videos or methods in class?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I try to keep it simple: print the words / text / lyrics and then listen a couple of times with the students trying to follow the rhythm / stress patterns reinforced by the images.
ReplyDeletethank you very much for the link.
ReplyDeleteFrancesca Di Mambro I should mention that I've not taught classes for almost 3 years until this month and met Jason (FluencyMC) online through a fluency focus he was doing. As such I've not had a chance to use any of his stuff in class ... yet ;-)
ReplyDeleteA lot of my teens listen to hip hop so I think they'll love Fluency MC! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHannah McCulloch - just an aside but noticed your posts on 'ELTunes' and am curious to hear more! I'm also liking your wide and varied music taste :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting up the links for Fluency MC!
ReplyDeleteI also tried a chant for a short break to wake up the sleepy kids and just get them to focus in on listening again when I was doing a test skills class where they were doing Talks from the listening section of a TOEIC test. I asked them to flip over the paper and write on the back what I dictated. I did one line at a time. I asked them to put their pencils down and look at me then I said it to them. Then when I was done they could pick up their pens or pencils and write it down. After saying it again after they asked to hear it again. I had them take a different color pen or pencil and check their work by writing the answer on the board. I outlawed erasers as I want them to be aware of where they make mistakes and this also helps them develop a feeling that mistakes are not wrong but a thing to learn from. After we did that we practiced the chant. When they had it down I increased the tempo.
Please bring your books to the next class.
Bring your books to the next class please.
No way. I forgot them at home.
Oh, no! The teacher's gonna flip.
I also just wrote down next to it on the side, Gonna=going to and found I could get away with just pointing to it and most got it and a short five minute activity got everyone back on track and more lively. Thanks for the Jazz chants hint.
Scott Gray Nice way to change the tempo of a class, and inject humour whilst making a point.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I 'ban' erasers, too (as I first learned in a workshop with John Fanselow), but I like your additional use of colour!
Enjoy all the jazz ;-)
+Phil Brown, Yeah pretty sure that is straight from John. He came to our school and gave a number of training classes to us and helped me when we presented at Jalt a few years ago about videoing classes. I did similar back when I was on the JET program years ago and the really good side of it is that the color aspect gives the kids a very visible record of their own progress. Learning a language many times it is hard to see your progress. But if they write in pencil and then correct in other colors they can see when they got it wrong and this also acts as a real study guide for any tests as they can go directly to where they need to study the most and over time the changes in where and what their mistakes are become a clear recognition of their language progress.
ReplyDeleteScott Gray That's great John Fanselow came to your school. Where are you based? The first time I saw him was at Obirin in Machida, organised by Ted O'Neill and Peter McDonald, I think.
ReplyDeleteI am teaching in Osaka but our high school has about 40 or so across Japan. The International program is in Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya right now. We are expanding to more schools but those are the three big programs. John was the president of the Tertiary Institute in our education group down in New Zealand so he came for a few years and gave us trainings a few times a year but a few years ago after our JALT presentation not sure about the circumstances but he is not giving us training through the company.
ReplyDeleteScott Gray Sorry, I am confused by "our high school has about 40 or so across Japan"
ReplyDelete...
No problem, my fault. My high school has about 45 campuses across Japan. One university in the Kansai area and One tertiary institute in New Zealand that John was the President of for a few years. Right now we have an International course at a few campuses and more next year.
ReplyDeletePretty extensive network! Thanks for clarifying :-)
ReplyDelete